16 Colombian rebels surrender to government

Sixteen members of the rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) turned themselves in to the military in the latest group surrender, the navy said Tuesday. The insurgents surrendered on the outskirts of the southwestern town of Tumaco, the navy said in a statement, adding that the group decided to lay down their weapons after their leader, known as "Mario Lata," was captured in December. "At the time of their voluntary surrender, the (rebels) handed over an AK-47 rifle, a 'changon' (homemade weapon), two revolvers, 365 cartridges of different calibers, and a boat with two engines," the statement said. The navy added that among the 16 was a man going by the alias "El Burro," who claimed to be in charge of recruiting young people for FARC's Daniel Aldana faction. The group "was also responsible for gathering information on the activities of the security forces in Tumaco," the navy said. According to Colombian authorities, around 1,200 guerrillas surrendered last year, as President Juan Manuel Santos urged insurgent groups to demobilize and rejoin civilian life. The Colombian government and FARC began peace talks in November 2012 in the Cuban capital of Havana, seeking an agreement that will end the half-century-old armed conflict.